Page 23 of Blame it on the Kiss
…
The Kings were tied with two minutes to go, but Bryce couldn’t concentrate on the big screen TV in the lounge at the inn. The other guys stayed absorbed in the action, but with Aiden sitting next to him all Bryce could think about was how the guy had flirted with Honor all night.
“Ohhhh!” Several people shouted at what Bryce guessed was a missed shot on goal.
The one time he’d gotten close to Honor, she’d smelled like gardenias, woman, and chocolate and he’d wanted to breathe her in until morning.
More yells and a few curse words rounded the room. Abruptly Aiden stood and said, “Hey.”
“And here I thought I’d find you guys having a pillow fight in Zane’s suite.”
Bryce swung his head in surprise at the sweet, sexy voice. Honor stood next to Aiden wearing pink and white striped pajama pants and a pink long sleeved shirt withBeach Bridesmaidwritten across the chest.
Aiden whispered something in her ear.
She tilted her chin to the side and gave him a small smile. Bryce’s hands clenched.
Zane jumped to his feet. “Is everything okay?” Worry tainted his normally upbeat voice. “Is Sophie all right?”
“She’s fine. Everything is good. I was sent over to talk to Bryce for a minute.”
At mention of his name, Bryce connected with Honor’s remarkable eyes. He pushed his chair back and an absurd amount of pleasure filled his chest when he stood above Aiden. “Should we go somewhere private?”
“Yes.”
Shouts erupted in the lounge and everyone leapt to their feet. Bryce glanced at the TV. The Kings had scored with ten seconds left in the period.
Aiden put his hand on Honor’s arm and said something Bryce couldn’t hear.
She did one of the those slow blinks women do when they’re flattered. Her lips pressed together in a barely-there smile.
Bryce ground his teeth together. Was she seriously considering whatever Aiden had said to her? Of course she was. This was her chance for a wedding hook-up. He shouldn’t care one way or the other what she crossed off Payton’s list. But if the tightness in his gut was any indication, he did.
With her eyes cast downward, she whispered in Aiden’s ear. Bryce stared at her mouth trying to read her lips, and because their pink color drew him like a wrestler to the mat. Ready to take down the guy that might catch her interest.
Not his business, he reminded himself.
Aiden nodded and Honor waved her arm in a motion for Bryce to follow. She walked through the lobby and out the sliding glass door to the pool area. Landscape lighting lit the area in soft yellow and the pool, bathed in white light, gave off a turquoise glow.
They stood near the edge, Honor drawn to the water in a way he recognized from athletes who’d spent time swimming.
“You swim?” he asked.
“I used to.”
“I’m pretty sure swimming is like riding a bike. You don’t forget how to do it.”
She gave him a side glare. “If this agent thing doesn’t work out for you, you could be a comedian.”
He winced. She had no idea how close he’d come to losing his agent gig last year. The thought sobered his unrelenting attraction to her. “You wanted to talk to me about something?” His clipped tone left no room for any more ribbing.
A groove drew her eyebrows together. She handed him a neatly folded piece of paper he hadn’t noticed she held. Their fingers brushed and he had the urge to grab her hand and bring her flush against him. “Sophie asked me to give this to you. It’s a note to Zane and she’d like you to give it to him right before the ceremony.”
Bryce looked briefly down at the note. “Did you read it?”
“Of course not. And you’d better not either. It’s private.”
“Got it. Tell Sophie I’ll be sure he gets it.”
